In the midst of our euphoria
Over the last couple of weeks, I--like most of the country--have been caught up in the whirlwind and euphoria of having a new president elect and 111th Congress. We've been tracking the transition team and trying to determine who will be chosen for the cabinet and agency positions. We've been watching the Obamas' interview on 60 Minutes and trying to determine what sort of dog they will get the girls (I personally am hoping they will rescue a dog...check out the Facebook movement built around this issue for continued updates).
On top of that, here at FCNL we've been busy with our Annual Meeting...which by all accounts was a huge success. Our network seems eager and ready to advocate for change here in Washington.
Yet in the midst of our euphoria over the election and our amazing network, we are continually reminded of why change is so greatly needed in our country at this moment.
Only days after a historic election in which the country voted against many anti-immigrant candidates in major political races nationwide and a record number of Latino and New American voters turned out to the polls, seven teenagers stabbed a Latino man to death in Suffolk, NY.
The teens, highschoolers between the ages of 16 and 17, told police that they "wanted to beat up someone who looked Hispanic." Labeled as a blatant hate crime, it is unfortunately only one of many that has taken place in Suffolk and across the nation in recent years. As America's Voice reported in their blog, "For the fourth solid year in a row, hate crimes against Latinos are on rise"....a rise which the Southern Poverty Law Center has estimated as a 40% increase since 2003.
The death of Marcello Lucero stands as a reminder that the election of a black President does not mean the end of racism. It represents progress, but is still only one (monumental) step in the path towards racial, economic, and social justice. It's time that we ask ourselves: what sort of transition team do we need in our education, welfare, and criminal justice systems to prepare our nation to combat racial hatred?
On top of that, here at FCNL we've been busy with our Annual Meeting...which by all accounts was a huge success. Our network seems eager and ready to advocate for change here in Washington.
Yet in the midst of our euphoria over the election and our amazing network, we are continually reminded of why change is so greatly needed in our country at this moment.
Only days after a historic election in which the country voted against many anti-immigrant candidates in major political races nationwide and a record number of Latino and New American voters turned out to the polls, seven teenagers stabbed a Latino man to death in Suffolk, NY.
The teens, highschoolers between the ages of 16 and 17, told police that they "wanted to beat up someone who looked Hispanic." Labeled as a blatant hate crime, it is unfortunately only one of many that has taken place in Suffolk and across the nation in recent years. As America's Voice reported in their blog, "For the fourth solid year in a row, hate crimes against Latinos are on rise"....a rise which the Southern Poverty Law Center has estimated as a 40% increase since 2003.
The death of Marcello Lucero stands as a reminder that the election of a black President does not mean the end of racism. It represents progress, but is still only one (monumental) step in the path towards racial, economic, and social justice. It's time that we ask ourselves: what sort of transition team do we need in our education, welfare, and criminal justice systems to prepare our nation to combat racial hatred?
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Labels: hate crimes, immigration
posted by alexandra at
10:31 AM
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